BERGISCH GLADBACH, Germany (AP) - Juninho doesn't expect things to get much easier for Brazil at the World Cup. The defending champions struggled in their first two matches against Croatia and Australia, picking up wins but being heavily challenged.

"Brazil better wake up now and realise that it will suffer a lot to win this World Cup," the Lyon player said. "This (competition) is being played at a very high level, it's being hard to hold on to results, to win matches."
Juninho, a backup to Kaka in Brazil's magic quartet scheme, noted the so-called weak teams will likely continue giving a hard time to the traditional squads.

"Australia played very well against us. Who would've thought something like that 10 years ago, that Australia would face Brazil like it did?" Juninho said. "Other nations, even some which have been eliminated, like the Ivory Coast, have played well, too.
"We've seen Portugal struggle to beat Iran."

The 31-year-old Juninho may get a chance to start tomororw in Brazil's last group match after coach Carlos Alberto Parreira hinted he may rest some of the starters ahead of the second round.
"I'm prepared to get in, we just need to wait for Parreira's decision," Juninho said.

Brazil secured a spot in the second round after the 1-0 win over Croatia and the 2-0 victory over Australia.
Juninho, who helped Lyon win their fifth consecutive French league title earlier this year, was a member of Brazil's squad that won the Confederations Cup last year in Germany.
Playing in his first World Cup, Juninho has scored six goals in 40 matches with Brazil.

Clean after yourself

South Korea's fans have won a special place in the hearts of order-loving Germans.

South Korean fans who gathered in front of giant screens in Leipzig to watch Sunday's 1-1 draw with France impressed the locals by dutifully picking up their garbage at the end of the match.
As if that were not enough, the city government said Monday, the South Koreans also cleared the tables at fast-food outlets set up for fans - saving cleaning firms the trouble.

Vote of confidence

Portugal are through to the second round of the World Cup for the first time in 40 years, and they are getting a helping hand from someone who's been there before.

Eusebio, a national soccer icon who helped guide Portugal to a third-place finish in 1966, is staying with the team at their training camp in Marienfeld.

He arrived in Germany after its opening win over Angola to watch its second match when the Portuguese overcame Iran 2-0 - a result that put Portugal into the knockout round.

"After we beat Iran, there's no way I'm going back to Lisbon. I feel I have to be here with the players," the 64-year-old Eusebio said yesterday. "I have a hunch they can go even further than we did."
Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said he appreciated the presence of Eusebio, nicknamed the Black Panther, who was on hand to dispense words of wisdom.

"Often when we're around the table at lunch or dinner we'll ask Eusebio to say a word to the players," Scolari said. "It helps their confidence and motivates them."

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